1. Field
The following description relates to an apparatus and method for providing a group service in a wireless communication system, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for providing a group service through a group service server and group keys in various wireless communication systems and controlling a function of a wireless terminal that uses the provided group service.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of high-speed wireless communication systems such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE), Wibro, and wireless local access network (WLAN), users can easily access networks through wireless terminals. Individual users form several groups of terminals, and then perform various tasks such as exchanging contents or communication through a messenger within their group of terminals, or are provided with a service such as location-based service within the group.
However, such group services are oriented to service providers or portal site providers, and thus it is difficult for personal users to be provided with a user-oriented group service using an active wireless terminal. For example, when a user in a given area wants to form a specific group of terminals using his/her wireless terminal, and use the user-oriented group service, all the wireless terminals in the given area need to be accommodated in the same wireless provider network. That is, when the wireless terminals to be included in the specific group access different provider networks or wireless networks in different schemes, the group of wireless terminals is not able to be formed and accordingly, the user cannot use the personal-oriented group service within the corresponding group.